


Let It Go

by honestgrins



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 08:05:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6796003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honestgrins/pseuds/honestgrins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Klaroline Gives Back drabble for heroriginalbadass - AU/AH "That's the third toy in my store you've turned on and can't turn off, don't try to sneak away, I CAN SEE YOU."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let It Go

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thebrontide](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebrontide/gifts).



> Many thanks to heroriginalbadass for donating to klarolinegivesback ! Here is the promised drabble incentive, I appreciate you tolerating my annoying questions. I really hope you like it! I also want to thank thetourguidebarbie for organizing and ssklaroline for the beta work, you ladies rock!
> 
> And for the record, canon took too long to give Enzo a last name. I like calling him Enzo Augustine, and I will probably do it until the end of time (despite AO3's character tags).

"Enzo, where is my textbook," Caroline announced from the living room, arms crossed in annoyance.

Her roommate popped his head out from their shared bathroom, looking freshly showered. "I know better than to touch your textbooks, Gorgeous," he insisted innocently. "You've been getting too specific in your violent threats, and I value my life."

"I left it on the coffee table this morning, and now it's gone," she explained in a huff. Her gaze narrowed in suspicion. "And I know I didn't clean up our apartment for an afternoon delight with my mystery girlfriend."

Looking sheepish, Enzo walked out of the bathroom toward their entertainment center. He opened the cabinet dedicated to his video games, rooting through to find the desired textbook among the table's contents he hurriedly shoved inside. "Sorry about that," he said with a cheeky grin. "Beautiful doesn't appreciate the clutter, has a judgy streak."

Caroline snorted. "Glad to know your girlfriend has good taste," she said. "Is she prettier than me? I figure that's the only reason you're worried to let me meet her. But she does have a real name, right? Or is she one of those hippies that chose her own name? God, how arrogant to name yourself Beautiful, and that's _me_ saying that!"

" _Rebekah_ ," he answered with an unamused emphasis, "is not a hippie, but any arrogance she might exhibit is well-justified, I assure you."

"If you say so," Caroline sang, snatching her textbook from Enzo's arms. "I'll believe it when I meet her, because this keeping her a secret thing _so_ cannot last."

Looking oddly triumphant, Enzo nodded. "I've been keeping her to myself only because I wasn't sure she was serious about me," he admitted.

Caroline could understand his hesitation. They had bonded in college over tequila and bad breakups from people who didn't love nearly as deeply as they did.

"But if you must know, she's invited me to accompany her to a family event tomorrow," Enzo said, cautiously excited.

Caroline's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Wow," she exclaimed, nudging his shoulder. "Look at you, meeting the family. It's not a wedding, is it? You'll need a haircut, and for the love of all that is holy, shave. I love you and all, but the stubble is so not formal."

"Relax, Gorgeous," he sighed. "It's a birthday party for her niece, five years old."

"Aww," Caroline cooed. "You'll be able to make friends your own age."

Eyes narrowed playfully, Enzo pushed her toward the door. "Look at the time, you have to get to work," he said, grabbing her bag for her. "Can't have those toys coming to life without someone there to watch them."

Laughing, Caroline took her tote from Enzo and put the textbook inside. "I still want to meet Rebekah," she reminded him. "And I'll pick up a present for you from the store."

"You don't have to do that," Enzo said, grateful to have Caroline Forbes as his best friend.

"You like this girl," Caroline said, smiling. "That means you need to make a good impression on the family, and showing up with a present for the birthday girl can only help." She held her hand in front of her expectantly.

He pulled out his wallet, handing over a credit card. "Nothing too extravagant, though," he warned.

Caroline nodded; there was a reason they still lived together after undergrad. While her work at the toy store barely allowed her to pay bills while still in school, at least her fancy law degree would eventually have a return on the ridiculous investment. Enzo's career as a music teacher would always run on the modest side.

"Don't worry," she said. "I've got an idea that should win you plenty of points."

* * *

Caroline sighed, turning the page of her Dispute Resolution textbook. Working late sucked, but toy stores were pretty much dead once a typical bedtime hit; the quiet was a great opportunity for her to study. Law school was kicking her ass, but her bills wouldn't if she kept picking up extra shifts.

Laughter caught Caroline's attention. Malls on Friday nights were rife with teenagers, just like the two girls giggling as they walked into the store.

"Hey," Caroline greeted with her best customer service smile. "Looking for anything in particular?"

"We're good," one of them answered snottily as they disappeared into the aisles.

Raising an eyebrow, Caroline considered letting out the inner bitch that made mean girls cower in high school. Taking a calming breath, she let it slide.

This time.

She definitely didn't bother with the next customer, though. The guy looked harried in his rumpled suit as he rushed in. She may have noted the adorably mussed curls and scruff, but Caroline could recognize someone with a mission. Giving him a polite nod, she went back to her studying.

A few pages in, her precious silence was broken.

_Let it go, let it go._

Caroline cringed. Idina Menzel was a vocal goddess after Caroline's heart, but the blonde was constantly on the verge of destroying the entire aisle dedicated to _Frozen_ because of that freaking song. The music faded, which had her sighing in relief. There were at least three toys on the shelf that would have played the entire song.

_Let it go, let it go. Can't hold it back anymore._

She spoke too soon. Dropping her head onto the textbook, Caroline swallowed every instinct to scream. The girls were probably screwing around, and they would get bored soon. Several deep breaths later, Caroline was able to relax the fist squeezing her highlighter as the music faded once again.

Counting to ten, Caroline figured she was safe enough to try reading again.

_Let it go, let it go!_

"That's it," she yelled, throwing down her highlighter.

It was bad enough to deal with this shit during busy hours and screaming children desperate for anything with Elsa's face on it. The fact that the anthem was breaking her focus during a particularly intricate chapter of her text was just infuriating.

Stomping over to the _Frozen_ aisle, Caroline was ready to make those teenagers cry with her head cheerleader voice. Her rage was further stoked as at least two more toys began to play the song over each other. "That is the third time you've turned on the most annoying toys in the store," she snapped, turning the corner to find it wasn't the girls distracting her.

The really cute guy was frazzled beyond belief as several toys were singing and flashing lights at him. "I can't make them stop," he said, angrily pushing buttons that just restarted the song.

Though she kind of wanted to fall down laughing at the sight, irritation flooded Caroline again when he accidentally set off another toy. "Seriously," she huffed, ripping the fake tablet from his hands and pointing it menacingly toward him. "Step away from the noisemakers."

Holding his hands up, the guy backed away. As Caroline started to put some of the disheveled toys back in their rightful places, though, she could see him quietly ducking around the corner in her peripheral vision. "Oh my god," she half-yelled, half-laughed. "I can see you, you know."

"Sorry, love," he answered, with a wince.

Caroline bit her lip at the accented voice, low and clearly frustrated. Idly, she acknowledged that with that voice and face, he made a pretty sexy package. That led down an entirely different trail of thought and Caroline had to shake her head clear of that; she had been so focused on school that her social life had clearly taken a backseat.

"It's fine," she sighed, grinning wanly. "Just, try not to set off any more, okay? If I have to hear that song one more time while I'm trying to study, I might end up breaking my forehead on my textbook."

He smirked, revealing dimples that were entirely unfair to Caroline's focus. "My apologies," he said. "My brother has had similar complaints about the tune, so I wanted to find a toy that wouldn't drive him crazy."

"Ah," Caroline answered with a nod, heading to the front of the aisle. "Then I suggest the pillow pals. They're extra cuddly without the rage-inducing recordings. If your brother's into that sort of thing, anyway."

"Thanks for the tip," he said, moving closer.

Biting her lip, Caroline stepped away from his advance. Her flirtatious retreat was ruined, though, by her less than graceful bump into the shelf. She accidentally sent several Olafs to their poofy deaths as they fell to the floor. "Crap," she muttered, bending to pick them up.

Caroline was embarrassed by her clumsiness, but the guy just crouched down to help her. She could feel his warmth where their knees brushed. "Sorry," he said, not apologetic in the least as he let his knee linger. Normally, she wouldn't allow that kind of familiarity, but it felt...nice.

"Um, thanks," she said, standing with the last Olaf in her hands. Bashful wasn't her usual style, but those dimples were apparently her personal Kryptonite.

"No problem," he answered, smirking. "After all, I was the one causing trouble in the first place."

Realizing she needed to get back to work, Caroline straightened her posture. "That's right," she remembered, narrowing her eyes in jest. "Try to keep the musical irritants to a minimum."

She added a saucy wink for good measure before turning to head back to the register. The chuckle she left behind might have encouraged the extra sway in her hips, the perfect boost of confidence she needed to cheerfully wave away the teenage girls who scoffed at her on their way out of the store.

* * *

Klaus watched the woman go, enjoying the bounce of her curls as she walked away. His gaze fell to her ass when he noticed how perfectly the jeans hugged her curves. Licking his lips, he tried to regret looking like a fool with the damned toys. If he was being honest, though, he would do it all over again to get her talking to him. He enjoyed the sass, unexpected on this last-minute errand.

Elijah and Katherine were hosting a half-birthday party for Nadia the next day and Klaus couldn't show up empty-handed. He loved his niece, but she had to be the most spoiled child on the planet. Between the inevitable screaming fit from the child and the enraged scolding he'd surely receive from her mother, Klaus preferred to just give into Nadia's whims.

He had called his sister on his way from work, but the only suggestion she gave was Frozen. Nadia was still obsessed with the film and anything associated with it would suffice as genuine effort for gift-giving.

Of course, the mall was ready to close by the time he got there. Klaus wasn't one to worry about public opinion, but he definitely felt the hard stares of retail workers as he dared to tread during the last hour of their shift. At least the pretty woman standing at the toy store register had politely nodded when he walked in.

That was nothing compared to the bright display of anger he was subject to when he dared to set off a canon of "Let It Go." Klaus was used to women batting their eyelashes, but the way her ire seemed to animate her entire being truly fascinated him. Her witty comebacks just added to the charming picture she made and he found himself wanting to hurry and get back to her.

Knowing Nadia already owned at least two of the snowmen dolls, Klaus figured the reindeer might be a new addition to his niece's playroom. He quickly grabbed the largest stuffed animal and made his way to the register, smiling at the blonde biting her lip over a thick textbook. "That looks bad," he teased.

She shrugged before glancing up, realizing he was ready to check out. "Just part of the college experience," she answered with a resigned smile as she set aside her highlighter. "I see you've settled on Sven."

Brow furrowed, it was only the girl's pointed glance to the stuffed animal in his hands that he understood. "Yes," he confirmed. "For my niece's birthday. Apparently, anything _Frozen_ would be acceptable enough."

"It's a good bet," she said encouragingly, ringing up the purchase. "I just picked up a knit hat made to look like Elsa's hair for a similar birthday girl."

"I appear to be in good company then," he flirted as he pulled out his wallet. Klaus often used his good looks and charm to make petty transactions interesting, but something about this girl truly engaged him. If the way she subtly checked his left hand meant anything, he might assume she was interested as well. "How much will it be, love?"

"Twenty-three dollars and seventeen cents," she answered primly. "And it's Caroline."

Handing over his card, Klaus couldn't help a smug smirk. "Do you often flirt with your customers, Caroline," he asked, lingering on her name.

"Only when I find I don't actually mind them interrupting my reading," she teased, passing him the credit card with the bagged toy. "Do you make a habit of hitting on retail workers?"

"Only when they're particularly beautiful," he countered.

She snorted. "Okay," she laughed.

"I mean it," Klaus insisted. Reaching into his breast pocket, he handed over a business card. "You should give me a call when you need distracting from your work again."

Glancing down, Caroline ran a thumb over the embossed name. "Klaus Mikaelson," she said, scrunching her nose. There was just his name and a phone number. "Do all pickup artists have cards made now?"

He chuckled. "It seems prudent if they want the girl to call," he answered pointedly. He wasn't one for persistence, but something about the blonde seemed worth the effort. "I'd hate to come up with excuses to visit the store again, my niece is spoiled enough as it is."

Biting her lip, Caroline thought for a moment before rolling her eyes. "Fine," she said. "I'll take it under consideration."

"That's all I ask," Klaus said with a nod, nothing bothering to hide the triumph in his expression. With a smug smirk and a teasing wave, he turned to leave. "Until next time, Caroline."

* * *

She watched him go, toying with the card still in her hand. Her social life _had_ been lacking lately, and he was charming enough for a date. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was time to start closing up shop.

Tucking the card in her book to keep her place, Caroline packed her bag and went about her closing checklist. She could worry about Klaus Mikaelson another day.

* * *

Caroline was searching Netflix for her Saturday binge options when a knock at the door distracted her. "Enzo, your girlfriend's here," she sang out as she weighed _The Tudors_ against _Grace & Frankie_. All her consideration quickly went by the wayside when she found _The Land Before Time_ , but she had barely pressed play when Enzo ran toward the door.

"Sorry, Beautiful," he said as soon as he opened the door, pressing a kiss to the annoyed blonde waiting outside. "Come on in, I'm almost ready."

"You are changing shirts, aren't you," she asked, her British accent making the comment seem more cutting than it was probably meant.

Caroline definitely understood the "judgy streak" comment Enzo had made the night before. As Enzo went back to his room, she stood to greet their guest. "You must be Rebekah," she said, waving. "I'm Caroline."

"The roommate," Rebekah said, slowly giving her a once-over. "I've heard a lot about you. It seems Enzo holds you in high regards."

"He's my best friend," Caroline affirmed with her mean girl smile. If she needed to pull out the claws to protect her friend, she would. "You seem to make him happy," she said, though her tone implied that Rebekah had better keep that up. "So, it's your niece's birthday?"

"Half-birthday, yes," Rebekah answered primly. She seemed uncomfortable as they waited for Enzo to reappear.

Deciding to put more effort toward being friendly, Caroline nodded. "I hope she likes _Frozen_ , Enzo was nervous about the gift he chose." She might as well throw him a bone, too, even if she was the one to choose and immaculately wrap the present.

Rebekah finally cracked a smile. "I'm sure she will love it," she answered. "I didn't know he was getting a gift."

"He's nervous about meeting your family," Caroline whispered conspiratorially. "Wants to make a good impression and all."

"Thanks for that, Gorgeous," Enzo called out, straightening out his newly changed shirt. "Way to make a bloke look cool."

"You're right to be worried," Rebekah said with a shrug, as though he shouldn't be stricken by the comment. "My brothers are quite protective."

Caroline's eyes widened; Enzo rarely got along with brothers. She chalked it up to his inappropriate and usually sexual sense of humor, which never seemed to garner appreciation among family members of the women he happened to date.

Enzo, seemingly thinking along the same lines, shared a concerned look with Caroline before turning back to Rebekah. "You know," he finally said, shifting under the stern gaze of his girlfriend. "Caroline here has really wanted to get to know you, and I'd hate to leave her out of the festivities. She actually helped me pick out the gift."

Scowling, Caroline wished more than anything she could kick her roommate without drawing attention.

"Oh," Rebekah gasped lightly, face scrunched in confusion. "You want her to come with us?"

"You said it'd be a large party, not just family," he explained, rubbing his neck. "And didn't you mention that most of your brother's law firm had been invited? Caroline could use the networking, the toy store isn't going to prepare her for all that lawyering she's always studying for."

That time, Caroline didn't bother restraining herself as she let her foot land on Enzo's. "I'm all set here, really," she said, pointing to the television where Cera and Little Foot were arguing. "Go to the party."

"You would be more than welcome," Rebekah broke in, clearly wanting play nice for her boyfriend's sake. "Enzo must be in want of a buffer, and I can't really begrudge him that."

"That's nice of you," Caroline answered in a steely voice, staring daggers at her friend. Turning back to Rebekah, though, her smile turned warm. The girl was trying, she had to give her that. Luckily, Caroline's hair and makeup were already done from a morning grocery run, so it was just a matter of changing out of her pajama pants. "Give me a minute to change and I'll be happy to join."

She still made sure to send a dirty look Enzo's way as she walked to her bedroom. He would owe her for this.

* * *

Klaus groaned as the sun hit his eyes, a stark contrast from the dark house he had just walked through to get to Elijah's garden. As expected, the yard was overflowing with toys and tables, all dedicated to a five-year-old's half-birthday. Shaking his head, he tried to put on a happy face when his brother came to greet him. "Elijah," he called.

"Niklaus, good of you to join us," Elijah said, holding out a hand. Despite the nice weather, never let it be said that Elijah Mikaelson wore anything but suits. "Nadia will be pleased."

Holding up the stuffed Sven he had bought the night before, Klaus managed a wry smile. "I should hope so," he said.

"Uncle Nik!"

He turned to the little voice, smiling as his niece ran toward him at full-speed. When she didn't stop, he quickly swept Nadia up into his arms. The blue tulle of her dress nearly swamped the little girl wearing it, but her smile was brighter than he'd ever seen. "Is this for me," she asked, grabbing the reindeer he had pinned beneath his arm to make room for her. "It's Sven!"

"Every girl needs a reindeer," he joked as she played with the antlers.

" _Cause reindeer are better than people_ ," she sang happily.

"What do we say, Nadia?"

They both turned to Elijah, who watched the scene with paternal pride, if only to be reminded of his fatherly duty to teach her manners.

"Thank you, Uncle Nik," Nadia all but shouted in his ear.

"You're welcome, little love," he answered, setting her back on the ground. "Enjoy your party." As she ran off to find her mother, Sven in tow, Klaus squinted to see who else wandered the garden. "Did you invite half the firm?"

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "It's a family firm, so it's only right to treat them like family," he answered diplomatically.

Groaning, Klaus moved toward the bar he could see at the bottom of the hill. "We spend eighty hours a week with them, brother," he said.

"Pardon me for being inconsiderate of your misanthropic ways, Niklaus," Elijah replied, his dry humor making an unfortunately appropriate jab. "Do try to enjoy yourself."

"It will be easier now," Kol said, joining his older brothers and handing a second glass of bourbon to Klaus. "Socialization means approved drinking." They happily clinked their glasses, much to Elijah's resignation. He left them to their devices as he found more guests to greet.

"He invited the firm," Klaus complained, knowing Kol would understand his distaste for combining work and home life. Kol disliked work so much, he lived off his trust fund. "Why bother leaving the damned place if he intends to bring it wherever he goes?"

Kol laughed. "You know Elijah," he said. "Who needs friends when you can have underlings?"

"Though you would probably end it as 'who needs friends,'" a feminine voice chimed in. Turning to find Rebekah, they both greeted their sister with a kiss on the cheek. "Already drinking?"

Throwing back his drink, Klaus smiled. "What better way to enjoy a 5 year old's half-birthday party?"

Rebekah sighed, shaking her head. "Well, keep it to a minimum," she ordered. "I need you to be clear-headed and polite."

"For what," Kol asked.

Klaus didn't really pay attention to Rebekah's answer because he caught sight of new arrivals joining the party. The man was a typical specimen of the tall, dark, and handsome variety, but it was the woman laughing next to him that caught Klaus's attention. Luckily for him, they walked right toward his little group.

"Caroline," he remembered, brow furrowed at the pleasure he felt in seeing her again. "Isn't this a surprise?"

"It's a small world after all," the blonde answered, smiling brightly.

"You two know each other," Rebekah asked archly.

"You've been holding out on me, Gorgeous," Enzo chimed in.

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Gorgeous?"

"Aren't I," Caroline challenged playfully, the skirt of her sundress swishing back and forth. Laughing, she nudged her roommate. "It's an old nickname Enzo refuses to retire."

Rebekah huffed. "Yes, charming," she said.

"Come on, Beautiful," Enzo goaded, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and kissing her temple. "You love my charm and you know it."

Kol and Klaus seemed less than amused at the open display of affection. Coughing delicately, Rebekah tried to fight back the shy smile Enzo always seemed to bring out of her. "This is my boyfriend," she said warily.

"Lorenzo Augustine," he introduced himself, holding out his other hand for the brothers to shake. "I'd apologize for bringing an extra guest, but back-up seemed necessary."

Up to the challenge, Kol stepped closer. "Let's get you a drink, Augustine," he said, clapping him hard on the shoulder. "We should make sure you know what you're getting into with Bekah. I'd hate for you to break her heart almost as much as I'd enjoy breaking your face with my baseball bat."

With Rebekah following them to the bar, complaining loudly about cavemen brothers, Klaus and Caroline were left alone.

"I blame Enzo for normalizing a British accent," she joked. "I can't believe you and Rebekah are related."

"Like you said," Klaus replied, moving toward her. "It's a small world, love. I notice you haven't called me yet."

Scoffing, Caroline stepped back. "It's been less than twenty-four hours," she defended. "And if I called every guy who hit on me, I'd never get off the phone."

"Awful confident there, sweetheart," he said with a smirk.

"Just the truth," she answered, shrugging. "So, what do you do when you're not hitting on retail workers?"

He puffed his chest just a bit. "I'm a lawyer."

"Hah," Caroline burst out. "Of course you are."

Confused, Klaus wasn't sure whether to be offended or annoyed. "A problem with lawyers, love?"

"Only the ones I have to bully for an A," she quipped. "I'm L2 at Carter."

Klaus seemed impressed, but Nadia ran into his legs before he could say anything. "Look, Uncle Nik," she cried, holding out a plastic microphone. She pressed a button, and music began to play.

_Let it go, let it go._

Rolling her eyes, Caroline couldn't help a laugh. "And it appears we've come full circle," she said. She looked down to the little princess singing her heart out. "Are you the birthday girl?"

"Half-birthday," Nadia corrected with an imperious nod.

"Why don't you show Aunt Bekah your new toy," Klaus suggested, nudging his niece back toward the party. Turning back to Caroline, he gave an exaggerated shudder. "I suddenly understand your vicious attack last night."

Caroline playfully hit his arm. "I wasn't vicious, but I'm glad you're on my side now."

"Are you looking for new opportunities in the legal field," he asked cheekily. "I could get you a great internship at my firm, and you'd never have to hear that bloody song again."

"So you can hit on interns instead of a salesperson?"

Laughing, Klaus enjoyed the mirth in her eyes. "Let it go, love," he insisted, holding out his elbow for her. She took it happily as he led them toward the bar. "I think a drink is in order. Champagne?"

"Okay, _Elsa_ ," she joked, leaning into his side as they walked.


End file.
